Conservative Greek Politician Hospitalised By Gang Attack

A conservative Greek politician was in hospital on Tuesday after he was beaten by a dozen hooded attackers while dining in a gritty Athens neighbourhood, a police source said.

Vasilis Oikonomou, a 47-year-old parliamentary deputy for the right-wing New Democracy party, was hit in the head after the gang entered the restaurant where he was eating in the Exarchia district, an area well known for its heavy presence of leftist and anarchist groups.

No arrests had yet been made, police said, adding that they were still searching for suspects in connection with the attack.

Speaker of parliament Nikos Voutsis condemned the incident and telephoned Oikonomou in hospital to offer his support.

Conservative politicians are not the only ones to be targeted in the neighbourhood: while still in office in April, former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis of the leftist Syriza government was also attacked in Exarchia.